I've seen it written lately that the battle between rival political forces worldwide is a contest between progress and fear. But it seems to me that it's just the dragon and the troll fighting each other, and we're all transfixed, while the true battle for our world, our future, our very spirits, in happening in places like Standing Rock. There, people and animals are singing out to remind us that we should not be concerned with whether we're going forward or backward when we haven't yet learned how to care for the places we stand.

(free desktop wallpaper)

So many people have long believed that freedom from working the land has meant progress, prosperity. But what really has it brought us? Disconnection from the mud and magic of life.

It shows in our addiction to meaningless virtual entertainment, personal isolation, poisoned environments, and desperate, mindless gluttony that can only be supported by the mass killing of animals and nature. And it shows in the sad and frightening belief that dragon and troll are our only real choices.

The people trying to preserve Standing Rock from a dangerous oil pipe call themselves protectors, not protestors. And they are faced by armed forces who will assault and imprison them for the sake of investors unwilling to move an inch. It seems to me this civilisation will only find freedom from dragons, trolls, disconnection, and despair, when it learns that those who would protect the earth which feeds us, the waters which are our very life, are not madmen or our enemies, and those whose only motive is personal financial profit are not the ones we should be fighting for.

I stand not only with Standing Rock but with the trees along the riverbank behind my house, and the sacred Maori burial grounds that are in line for a housing development, and the poisoned seas, and the clover constantly being mowed away, and all the sacred places in this world ...

All words and images are copyright Sarah Elwell. Please do not reproduce or pin any contents without my permission. Thanks.

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalise ads and to analyse traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. To learn more please visit this link